Faint
by Icefelis
Summary: "Why won't you need me?" He fought the urge to crush her, shake her, make her SEE him. He loved her, needed her, wanted her. Why couldn't she just see him? Naruto/Sakura


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Faint**

"Why won't you need me?" He fought the urge to crush her, shake her, make her SEE him.

See him

Just let her see him, see his existence.

Let her truly see everything he was, see the depth of his feelings, the depth of his devotion to her.

He grasped her arms tightly, bringing her tense form closer to his. He bent his head lower, searching her eyes frantically.

"Why?" Without meaning to, he gave her body a slight shake, making her jerk in his grasp.

"Naruto..." She whispered softly, looking down at the ground. He gritted his teeth, fighting, always fighting back the pain, the sorrow, the loneliness.

"Why? Why am I not enough?" His voice broke as he whispered the words. He had always been there. He had done everything. He had supported her, through thick and thin. He had believed in her, since the first moment, when she couldn't or wouldn't see how strong she was. He had promised to bring _him_ back, to bring back his brother, to bring back her heart. He had promised to mend her, mend them, to allow her to breathe again, to smile again. He had smiled when he had wished to cry, had hidden his own pain and despair so she may live through her own.

Yet she didn't see him.

"Why Sakura?" he whispered, bringing a warm hand to cup her cheek tenderly. His thumb brushed her cheekbone as he saw a tear pearl in her lashes, and roll down slowly. He fought the urge to kiss it away, to make the proof of her sorrow disappear. He longed to feel her skin underneath his lips, to taste her, brand her in his memory, burrow her deeper in his body and mind. He merely brushed it away with his thumb, spreading the moisture on her skin.

"I'd be everything, anything for you..." He let the words trail off, encircling her body with one arm, bringing her flush against him. The feel of her body against his was bittersweet. He felt the shiver that ran through her body at his proximity, felt how fast her heart was beating in her chest. The sensations nearly brought him to his knees, nearly broke the wall keeping all of his hurts and hopes at bay.

Could she seem him?

Did she see him?

"Naruto... I..." She shook her head mutedly, tears shining in her eyes. Tears for whom? Not for him. Never for him. All of her tears were for others, for Sasuke, for the village, for her family. He shuddered, leaning his forehead against her, still cupping her cheek. He basked in her sweet smell, drank in her breath, counted each beat of her heart as if they were his to own. He would do anything for her happiness.

He loved her.

He loved her so deeply.

Yet she didn't see him.

He had loved her since the first day he had laid eyes on her, and as she grew, as she matured he only came to love her more. He admired her strength, her will, her determination. He loved her caring personality, so at odd with her strong character. He loved how she withstood the losses, the fears and the pains. He loved how she took no bullshit from anyone and how she gave as good as she got. He liked how she soothed the bruises that she herself had caused.

He belonged to her, heart, mind and soul.

"Please Sakura... Can't you see me?" He grabbed one of her hands, ignoring her gasp, and brought it to his chest, to his beating heart. Her hand pushed lightly against his chest, shaky and unsure. He held her gaze pleadingly. Her eyes only showed a mix of sorrow and hesitancy. Her uncertainty made a thin spike of hope burn in his heart, feeble and weak. He shuddered and bit down on his lower lip. The pain drew his attention away from the butterflies in his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." The ground seemingly fell from under his feet, opening to swallow him whole. To love someone as such, and never have a chance, never know what you should have had, would have had, if things had been different. How could someone withstand such pain?

"I would have given you everything I had Sakura. My heart, my soul. Anything you asked for would have been yours." She bit down on her lower lip lightly and tore her gaze from his. Her eyes strayed to her hand on his chest, covered by his own warm one.

"We could have been so good together... So good..." He whispered mournfully.

He let go of her cheek and hand slowly, arms falling limply at his sides. Her fingers contracted lightly around his shirt as he drew back, eyes flying to his. Tears filled his eyes, startling him into blinking quickly. He couldn't let them fall, couldn't fanthom where he was, what had happened, or why. He didn't live, didn't breath. Only each agonised beat of his heart reminded him that he still existed, that he wasn't dead.

"I'm... sorry..." She answered brokenly, the hand she had had reaching for him now falling to her side. She regarded him pleadingly. He couldn't understand what she was pleading with him for. What more could he give, when he had given everything? She took a small step forwards, prompting him to step further away from her.

"No Sakura...I'm sorry..." He turned, leaving her behind. He would leave tonight, would rage and agonise. Tomorrow, he would be back with a smile and a joke, would cover his pain, would pretend everything was alright, and would be what she wanted him to be.

Friend.

Brother.

Hero.

Yet, as he walked back to his home, he didn't know how, this time, he would mend what had been broken inside of him.

In the end, in the very end, she had seen him.

He knew his pain had reached her, had opened her eyes wide enough to notice, to see.

And what broke him, as he left, was that he still hadn't been enough.

.

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Hello there folks. Well, here is a short one-shot written during my lunch hour today. Hopefully it was somewhat enjoyable. The title is based on the Linkin Park song "Faint", which I listened to while writing this...

It's also my first Naruto fic, so let's hope nobody was out of character! Any feedback would be appreciated!


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